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A process that’s been more than a year in the making could change the face of junior hockey in Canada forever.

After working in anonymity for almost 14 months, the creation of a Canadian Hockey League Players Association, a de facto union to protect the interests of more than 1,300 junior hockey players across Canada, is close to complete.

“We’re in the process of making applications to each of the necessary labour boards,” CHLPA spokesman Derek Clarke said in an interview Monday.

The possible formation of a junior hockey players association comes as the NHL and its players association have entered contentious bargaining sessions, with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announcing a lockout of the players would begin on Sept. 15 if no deal is reached. There has been no suggestion that there would be a formal affiliation between the NHLPA and its junior counterpart.

The Canadian Hockey League consists of 60 teams in the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League. Players aged 16 to 20 years old leave their homes to play for teams across the country and in the United States.

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Junior hockey players currently get a $50 a week stipend — along with room and board.

“They’ve made a lot of money for a lot of people,” said Clarke.

Teams are based everywhere from small markets such as Owen Sound and Swift Current, Sask., up to larger cities such as Vancouver and Quebec City. The junior leagues are the primary producer of NHL players.

The fledgling association is taking dead aim at the educational programs put in place by the OHL, QMJHL and WHL as well as the financial windfall that goes to the CHL for all of its national and international events. The prime focus of the association would be on modifying the current educational packages available to junior players.

Educational packages vary from player to player, team to team and league to league. The new association would like to standardize those packages for all players, regardless of where they go on to play professionally, if they do.

The organization wants the package to be available for a longer period — it currently has to be used within less than two years of a player’s junior career. One hope is that it can be available at the end of whatever career a graduating junior has, said Clarke.

They would like the fund available immediately to players who may not want to further their education and, Clarke said, they would like any money to be available in an “entrepreneurial package” rather than solely for post-secondary education.

“These players are often starting off their careers at 20, let’s provide them with the guidance that’s needed,” Clarke said.

“We want to work together with the CHL … let the PA concentrate on the educational programs and the aftermarket careers for these players.

“There’s no reason I can think of that the CHL wouldn’t want to have those programs.”

The certification process is convoluted since it involves leagues that operate across Canada and into the United States.

Clarke, however, said he expects to have enough signatures of players to create the association — 50 per cent in some provinces, 60 per cent in some others while dealing with the federal labour relations board in the United States — in the next little while.

He could not give a precise timeline but said it was a matter of days, not months, before the process began further unfolding.

Because the certification process is not complete, the new group is not willing to offer too many specifics on the makeup of its board or paid executive ranks.

“I can’t complain about the things I have gotten out of this league,” he told the newspaper. “The experience of playing for Team Canada. Playing in the Subway Series. You’re always decked out in nice gear and are given free stuff. I’m sure I have gone through thousands of dollars worth of hockey sticks alone. I know I have been well taken care of. I don’t know what to say.”

However, the CHLPA wants the players to at least share some of the financial benefits that go now to the CHL, probably in some form of scholarship available to players after their careers are over.

“If we had a simple agreement … we would be entitled to a percentage of those revenues,” said Clarke.

CHL president and OHL commissioner David Branch said he knows little of the CHLPA which has yet to contact the league.

“I know nothing other than the speculation and the rumours,” Branch told the Examiner. “The board of governors take the position it would be most inappropriate to respond in any way, shape or form until we have more information.”

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